Corporate Timeline

"In the beginning we had no great and far reaching plan.
Each event, every decision, a success here, a mistake there,
would take us another step forward."  - A. Neil Pappalardo
 
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  • A. Neil Pappalardo and Curt W. Marble develop MUMPS technology on a DEC PDP at Mass General Hospital from 1964 to 1968
     
  • Pappalardo purchases a DEC PDP-9 and leases 5,000 sq. ft. of office space at 65 Rogers Street in East Cambridge in March
"I wanted to create a company ever since I was in college. When my frat brothers went on to high paying jobs in private industry, I went to work in the computer science lab at Mass General Hospital. The position was funded by the National Institute of Health making anything I developed public domain. Curt and I developed MUMPS and used it to launch MEDITECH."  - Neil


Cambridge Office
 Our "First Home"
Many of our greatest trials, tribulations, breakthroughs and successes happened within those four brick walls.
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  • Neil Pappalardo, Morton E. Ruderman, Curtis W. Marble, Jerome H. Grossman and Dr. Edward B. Roberts found MEDITECH - EG&G invests $500K in July
     
  • Monday, August 4th - MEDITECH is open for business.
         A full time staff consisted of Ruderman as president and Pappalardo and Marble as everything else.
 
  • Writing started for MIIS. This becomes template for MUMPS standard in the ANSI format
     
  • Laboratory Product Released
  


Larry Polimeno, MEDITECH's first employee is hired at the end of the first month, later he becomes Vice Chairman.

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"We'd program anything. It was basic survival. None of these were viable markets for us, but the efforts drove our software to higher levels."  - Neil
  • Regional Offices Open in New York, Phoenix, Washington, D.C., St. Louis and San Francisco from 1970 to 1973
     
  • Microbiology Product Released
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  • Developed Various Systems from 1971 to 1979: Auto parts distribution system, hotel chain reservation system, and Hong Kong Telephone Company Inquiry system. Systems for an international oil company and a cola company
     

  • MIIS (MEDITECH Interpretive Information System) Language Introduced
     

  • Admissions Product Released
Roland Driscoll Joins,
Becomes First
CFO, Ret. 1991
Doug McCraith Joins,
Becomes VP Research &
Development, Ret. 1995
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  • At our Phoenix, AZ regional office we learned that the computer room belongs above ground. Heavy rain had our computers under water. Neil flies down, pumps out the room, dries the components, flips a switch and we're back on line. Our Phoenix customers were impressed.
          
 

  • EPI and Medical Records Products Released
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Ed Pisinski Joins,
Becomes Senior VP Sales & Marketing
  • Developed Court Case Tracking and Parole Reporting System for New York City Criminal Justice Department (January)
     
Brunswick Naval Air Station, ME - In use was a Patient Medical History Module we developed. Doctors there wanted a "problem oriented" system for their outpatient dispensary that serviced naval personnel and their dependents. The result was the first on-line, medical record system for outpatients.
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Howard Messing Joins,
Becomes VP Implementation,
Then President

Cambridge Office Purchased...
 Added 255 Bent Street and 16,000 sq. ft.
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  • Switch from Time-sharing to In-house, Mini-computer Systems

  • Development of HIS Begins with Financial and Patient Care Modules
     

  • Pharmacy Product Released
Roberta Grigg Joins,
Becomes VP Service, then Sr. VP Intl Div, Ret. 2001
Barbara Manzolillo Joins, Later Becomes Treasurer, then Chief Financial Officer

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  MEDITECH began as a pacesetter - starting with interactive, time-sharing on mini-computers when the industry was dominated by batch processing on mainframes. Our software was based on high level interpretive languages when everyone else used compiled code like Fortran or Cobol.
  • First MIIS Standard Application Released in November
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  • Polimeno closes regional offices due to declining dial-up costs
     
  • First MIIS LIS installed at Swedish Hospital in Seattle, WA  (June)


Undated photos from MEDITECH's First Annual Company Picnics
 Our first picnic was held at an employee's beach house. Everyone brought food...
  • Started Writing MAGIC
     
  • Billing/Accounts Receivable Product Released


 ...Larry Polimeno and Neil Pappalardo cooked.
There was just enough interest for a touch football game.
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  • Dual Processor/System Redundancy Introduced at Mt. Sinai in Hartford, CT  (October)
     
  • Telex Machine Installed for Overseas Business  (December)
     
  • Employees: 58
  • Accounts Payable Product Released
     
  • Anatomical Pathology Product Released
     
  • General Ledger Product Released
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  • Grant Hospital in Chicago, IL Installs MIIS Standard on IBM Series 1 Minicomputer  (November)
     
  • Hong Kong Telephone Co. Installs MIIS Inquiry System, Still Used Today  (December)
     
  • MAGIC Technology Introduced
     
  • Employees: 68

New Cambridge Building Constructed
MEDITECH purchases an adjoining lot and constructs a second building connected by a second floor enclosed walkway.
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  • Canadian Market Opens with University of British Columbia Signing
     
  • Swedish Covenant in Chicago, IL Implements HIS in Phases and Shares Data Across Integrated Modules  (March)
     
  • On-line, Real-time B/AR Introduced at Memorial Medical Center Demonstrating Financials on Mini-computers  (September)
     
  • Materials Management Product Released
     
  • Radiology Product Released
     
  • Employees: 72
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  • 70 LIS users meet in Boston, MA
     
  • Employees: 86
  • Order Entry Product Released
     
  • Fixed Assets Product Released
     
  • Blood Bank Product Released
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  • LSS Data Systems Becomes MEDITECH Partner
     
  • Employees: 119
  • Payroll/Personnel Product Released
     
  • DG MV/6000 32-bit Computers Announced
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  • Community-Wide Scheduling Product Released
     
  • Employees: 160
  Westwood Office
 "Center of the MEDITECH World"
The purchase of this building provided us with 70,000 sq. ft. of office space to expand. (October)

Almost all company events in the 1980's were held here until the acquisition of our Canton building. The annual Company Meeting and Holiday Luncheon was held in the cafeteria and the Family Picnic was on the lawn area adjacent to Rt. 128. This building is beautifully remodeled today.

  


The previous occupant was Underwood Foods, famous for their "Deviled Ham" sandwich meat.

 
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  • First Customer-initiated User Meeting in Boston  (April)
     
  • Digital's (DEC) VAX Family Supported  (September)
     
  • First Issue of the MEDITECH Monitor Published  (September)
     
  • Employees: 226
  • Case Mix Module Released to Meet DRG Requirements  (November)
     
  • Abstracting Product Released
     
  • Nursing Product Released
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  • Second Customer-initiated User Meeting in Boston  (April)
     
  • Employees: 256
  • New England Medical Center uses ETHERNET to link two Data General MV/6000's  (July)
     
  • NPR Developed
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  • Newfoundland and Labrador Governments Endorse MEDITECH as Preferred Vendor  (January)
     
  • Users go international meeting in Hamilton, ON  (May)
     
  • Disk Shadowing Introduced  (September)
     
  • Cost Accounting Product Released
     
  • Employees: 302

  "We will "stick to our knitting" and do what we have always done, respond to the software needs of the medical community. And we will control our growth so that we effectively serve our existing customers."  - Neil
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  • MEDITECH in Saudi Arabia
     
  • Employees: 327
  • Multi-corporate Capabilities Announced  (March)
     
  • Low-cost, Color Terminal, Windows & Graphics Introduced (November)
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  • Support of Terminal Servers Announced  (January)
     
  • Fifth User Meeting Draws 300 in San Francisco
     
  • Employees: 376
  • Patient Care Inquiry (PCI) Product Released  Precursor to the Computerized Patient Record  (January)
  
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  Norwood Office  "Home of the MEDITECH Golf Classic"
In June, MEDITECH purchases Lost Brook having approximately 62 acres of land and constructs a building with 75,000 sq. ft. of office space.

Our company-organized Annual MEDITECH Golf Classic is held at the The Lost Brook Golf course which is owned by MEDITECH and operated by New England Golf Corp. It is a beautifully maintained 18 hole, par 54, executive course measuring over 3,000 yards. The tees and greens are in excellent condition and the fairways are flat and easy to walk.

  • Support of Data General's RISC Processor Announced  (May)
     
  • Employees: 505

Celebrating 20 Successful Years!
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  • PC Emulation Software Introduced
     
  • User Meeting Attendees: 800 users in Boston  (June)
     
  • Employees: 704
Canton Office - Purchased on August 30, named by the Boston Society of Architects "The Best Office Building Ever Built in Suburban Boston"

The Canton office is a blend of two environments, metropolitan and rural. Canton is a 250,000 sq. ft. brick and glass office structure which includes a two story library, cafeterias, and a 280 seat auditorium. Most spectacular is a 15,000 sq. ft. atrium located at the building's center. An excellent meeting space for customers and prospects visiting MEDITECH.

Formerly owned and built by the Motorola Corporation/Codex from 1983-1986. Constructed on the site of Maresfield Farm, a former breeding and training farm for harness racing horses. This office will create space for an additional 800 employees.
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Mark Braunstein and Steve Miller open the first Patient Care Technologies (PtCT) office at the Georgia Institute of Technology's Advanced Technology Development Center — a program designed to jump-start small technology oriented companies.

  • United Kingdom Market Opens with SouthEast Staffordshire Health Authority  (May)
     
  • Dun & Bradstreet Awards MEDITECH 5A1 Rating, Highest Possible  (June)
     
  • User Meeting Attendees: Attracts 900 Toronto  (June)
     
  • Employees: 814
  • Executive Support System (ESS) Product Released

  • Departmental Product Released
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  • Handheld Computer Debuts at Arkansas Children's Hospital  (November)
     
  • TCP/IP, Novell LAN, HL7 Support Announced  (December)
  • Sunderland Health Authority Signing Establishes Firm U.K. Foothold
    (February)

  User Group Attendees: International Meeting Draws 960 to Orlando  (June)
  • Data Archiving Product Released
     
  • Optical Disk Archiving Introduced

  • Employees: 921
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  • Next Generation Development Formed  (July)
     
  • Integration with Home Health Care System Announced  (July)
     
  • Columbia Selects MEDITECH as Preferred Vendor for Clinical Applications  (December)
     
  • User Group Attendees: Meeting attracts 1,198 in Scottsdale  (June)
     
  • Employees: 1,062
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Celebrating 25 Years!  A Quarter of a Century Strong
  • Support for DIGITAL's ALPHA AXP Processor Announced  (January)
     
  • Adoption of Client Server Architecture Using Industry Standard OS  (May)
     
  • Budgeting and Forecasting Product Released
     
  • Voice Recognition Capabilities Added  (April)
     
  • User Group Attendees: Meeting attracts 1,400 in Chicago
     
  • Customers: 605
     
  • Employees: 1,255

Neil Pappalardo Becomes Chairman
Larry Polimeno Appointed President
 
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Framingham Office Purchased - Accommodating Growth - MEDITECH purchases a spacious 450,000 sq. ft. building in Framingham, MA to accommodate approximately 1,500 employees. Our six-story modern Framingham office has assisted us in responding to the service and implementation needs of our steadily expanding customer base and affords us a long-term solution to our increase in staff.  (January)

  
  • Howard Messing Becomes Executive Vice President
     
  • Chris Anschuetz Becomes Vice President Development
     
  • MEDITECH moves into Framingham and occupies building with tenants  (July)
     
  • Re-design of the Handheld Point of Care Computer
     
  • Corporate Technology Group Formed
     
  • Employees: 1,426
...In 1995 caterers cooked 1,700 lbs. of chicken, 1,800 lbs. of lobster for 1,700 attendees who sat around 250 tables under 6 tents that covered 25,200 sq. ft. Thirty-six teams played volleyball.
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  • www.meditech.com Launches
     
  • Internet E-mail for Employees
     
  • Employees: 1,627
  
  • MEDITECH says goodbye to an old friend and we sold our oldest, smallest building in Cambridge on June 3rd.
  • Staffing and Scheduling Product Released
     
  • Enterprise Medical Record Product Released
     
  • Data Repository Product Released
     
  • Home Health Product Released
     
  • Patient Care System Product Released
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  • Operating Room Management Product Released
     
  • Imaging and Therapeutic Services Product Released
     
  • User Group Attendees: 1,500
     
  • MEDITECH Intranet Launched
     
  • Employees: 1,841
  Lowder Brook Office Purchased - Also known as the Westwood Executive Center, consisting of two buildings, 100 and 200, and sits on 39.5 wooded acres.

Centralized offices around Boston provide centralized expertise. The entire resources of the company are available to any customer who calls. Face to face relationships within the company create better communication. Telecommunications capabilities and the source code at the customer site give us the link we need to support customers.
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  • Compaq Partnership Announced
     
  • Internet Access for Staff on Desktop PCs
     
  • Employees: 1,914
  • Long Term Care Administrative Product Released
     
  • Long Term Care Clinical Product Released
     
  • MEDITECH in Puerto Rico
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  • Over 100 Client Server Customers Live
     
  • Lowder Brook Office Opens - MEDITECH occupies the 3rd and 4th fourth floor of Building 200. The other floors, as well as the four floors of Building 100, are leased by tenants.
     
  • Employees: 1,912
  • inSync Product Released
     
  • Patient Education Product Released
     
  • EMR Product Released
     
  • PCS Product Released
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Celebrating 30 Years!  Y2K Conquered
  • 1,500th Customer
     
  • RATmail and RATtrax Released
     
  • MIX Customer Program Introduced
  • Knowledge Base Launched
     
  • Internet Access for Patients
     
  • Internet Access for Staff

  

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  • Ambulatory Care Suite
     
  • Patient Education Suite
     
  • Integrated Communications System
     
  • IBM and Dell Hardware Partners
     
  • MAGIC Emergency Department Management Product Released



  • Behavioral Health Administrative Product Released
     
  • Behavioral Health Care Manager Product Released
     
  • Behavioral Health Clinical Product Released
     
  • Medical and Practice Management Product Released
     
  • Provider Order Management (CPOE) Product Released
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  • Microsoft Windows XP & CITRIX Support
     
  • MAGIC Osal
     
  • MEDITECH Magazine Premiers
     

  • Corporate Reorganization Announced: New Application Development, Client Services Division & Implementation
     
  • Internet Connectivity for Telecommuters to the MEDITECH Network
     
  • Authorization and Referral Management Product Released
     
  • Bedside Medication Verification Product Released
     
  • CPOE Product Released
     
  • Corporate Management Product Released
     
  • Physician Care Manager Product Released
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  • Larry Polimeno Promoted to Vice Chairman
     
  • Howard Messing Promoted to President and COO
     
  • Customers: 1,789
     
  • Employees: 2,092
  • Quality Management Product Released
     
  • Risk Management Product Released
     
  • Patient Discharge Instructions Released
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In December of 1968, I left Mass General Hospital and worked passionately for the next 8 months to create MEDITECH. 35 years ago on Monday, August 4, we opened our doors at 65 Rogers Street, Cambridge MA. We consisted of a young staff of 3 - Mort Ruderman, Curt Marble and myself. We hired Larry later in the week. We were very ambitious, but somewhat naive in how much hard work it would really take to make MEDITECH a success. It is now 35 years later and I am very proud of what we have accomplished - not just the original 4 but all the current and prior staff who have contributed to our success over these years. The best is yet to come. Regards.

- Neil    MEDITECH Founder, Chairman and CEO
  • Expanded Our Educational Offerings With Online Seminars
     
  • MEDITECH Plays an Active Role In EHR Movement and Advanced Clinical Systems Advancements
     
  • Russell Ricci, M.D., Joins MEDITECH To Lead Advisory Board
  • Point-of-Care Documentation Product Released
     
  • Announced Support for Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition OS
     
  • Nursing Status Board and Process Flowsheet Released
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  • Customer Support Over the Internet
     
  • Opening of our new Fall River facility, Southcoast. MEDITECH will build a four-story, 120,000 sq. ft. office building at the site of the former Kerr Mill in Fall River, MA. Plans to complete early 2007.
     
  • New Emergency Department Management and Bed Board Enhancements
     
  • New Product offerings for Scanning & Archiving, Oncology, and Human Resources
     
  • Announced Support of Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005
     
  • CHRISTUS and Centura Choose MEDITECH
     
  • MEDITECH Meets with MA Gov. Romney to Discuss EHR Developments
  • National Leaders Convene to Launch MA EHR Pilot Program
     
  • Relationship with MEDITECH South Africa Expands
     
  • MEDITECH Customer Citizens Memorial Healthcare (MO) Wins Davies Award
     
  • MEDITECH Customer Inland Northwest Health Services (WA) Recognized as RHIO
     
  • Retirement of Ed Pisinski, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing
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  • MEDITECH's Financial Products Shine at HIMSS
  • 5.6 Brings Exciting New Functionalities to Client/Server
  • MEDITECH & Zynx Present Strategies for Using Evidence-
Based Medicine
  • MEDITECH Customers at the RHIO Forefront of Advanced Efforts
  • Physician Care Manager Features Now Available
  • MEDITECH's CPOE Beats Leapfrog Error Reduction Estimates at
   Burke Rehab Hospital
  • LSS Awarded CCHIT Certification SM
  • HCA Awarded the Waypaver Award for its System-Wide Bar Coding
  • Hospital Sisters Chooses MEDITECH to Unite its 13 Facilities
  • Davies Award-Winning CIO Denni McColm Interviewed by HIStalk
  
  • meditech.com Celebrates 10th Birthday!
 
  • Avera Chooses MEDITECH to Unite Regions with One
Electronic Medical Record
  • Employees: 2,566
  • Gingrich Praises MEDITECH Customer Inland Northwest
RHIO and EMR Efforts
  • MEDITECH Announces its First Australian Customer
and Expands its International Presence
  • MEDITECH Hospitals Among the Most Wired in the Nation
  • MEDITECH Breaks New Ground in Fall River, MA
     
  • Centura Completes its First Go-LIVE with MEDITECH, Standardizes Data
   
  • Announce Support of Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Standard Ed
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  • Chairman and CEO Neil Pappalardo awarded Honorary Doctorate from Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
     
  • MEDITECH's expansion into Latin American market includes debut of Spanish-language Web site
     
  • Interoperability interface suites help accommodate customers' data sharing goals. Data Express solution developed with corporate ally Forward Advantage streamlines electronic patient data transmissions from hospitals to physician offices and clinics
  • Physician practice vendor and longtime partner LSS Data Systems celebrates 25 years in business
     
  • Bob Gale promoted to Senior Vice President, Product Development, and Michelle O'Connor promoted to Vice President, Product Development
     
  • Advanced Clinical Resources Web Site debuts
     
  • Perot Systems acquires MEDITECH partner JJWild, providing new implementation and optimization options
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  • MEDITECH announces strategic initiative with DrFirst, industry leader in e-prescribing and medication management
  • Southcoast facility (Fall River, MA) opens!
     
  • Union Hospital (Dover, OH), and Punxsutawney Home Health Care (Punxsutawney, PA), go LIVE with PtCT's Maestro products
  
  • Grupo CHRISTUS Muguerza (Monterrey, Mexico), becomes MEDITECH's first Spanish Language customer licensing our full Spanish Language HCIS
     
  • JJWild is officially known as the "MEDITECH Solutions Group within Perot Systems"
     
  • Client/Server Release 6.0 represents a new generation of health care technology
  • Poudre Valley Health System (Fort Collins, CO), is the only health care organization to receive the 2008 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award—the highest Presidential honor given to United States businesses and organizations demonstrating performance excellence
  • West Georgia Health System (La Grange, GA), and Doylestown Hospital (Doylestown, PA), are the first customers to go LIVE with Client/Server Release 6.0, MEDITECH's new generation of health care technology
    
  • MEDITECH customers are achieving the prestigious Stage 6 Electronic Medical Record (EMR) adoption recognition from HIMSS Analytics, including: Citizens Memorial Healthcare (Bolivar, MO), St. Agnes Healthcare (Baltimore, MD), Watertown Regional Medical Center (Watertown, WI), and Parkview Adventist Medical Center (Brunswick, ME)
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  • MEDITECH welcomes Hilo Medical Center (Hilo, HI) to our customer community, marking MEDITECH's presence in all 50 U.S. states.
     
  • Swedish Covenant Hospital (Chicago, IL) hosted a health I.T. tour for reporters during the 2009 HIMSS Conference in Chicago.
 
  • On August 4, 2009, MEDITECH celebrates our 40th anniversary in the HCIS industry. Our 2,200 customers worldwide have journeyed to clinical and financial excellence using MEDITECH's leading-edge technology solutions.
  
  • Physicians at Doylestown Hospital (Doylestown, PA) are utilizing Apple's iPhone 3G with secure access to MEDITECH's 6.0 platform, providing real-time connectivity to patient information.
  • As of December 2009, 21 MEDITECH customers achieved Stage 6. A number of these customers, including 2008 Malcolm Baldrige award winner Poudre Valley, were recognized for their achievements by MEDITECH President and COO Howard Messing during our 10th annual CIO Technology Workshop in June.
 
  • The passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) creates an industry-wide push toward EHRs and interoperability.
MEDITECH prepares customers to meet federal mandates with the Continuity of Care Document Exchange Suite, and provides customers with extensive materials on the EHR and Interoperability Portal.
  • DCH Regional Medical Center (Tuscaloosa, AL) is featured in the September 2009 issue of ADVANCE for Health Information Executives, touting its success utilizing MEDITECH's Bedside Verification and Electronic Medication Administration Record.
  • MEDITECH extends its reach globally by signing Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust (Rotherham, UK), and launches the Spanish Portal. MEDITECH customer South Okanagan General Hospital (Oliver, BC) becomes the first Canadian hospital to reach Stage 6.
  
  • Bluewater Health (Sarnia, Ontario) and Rooks County Health Center (Plainville, KS) are the latest customers to implement MEDITECH's Scanning and Archiving solution. In addition, MEDITECH and Forward Advantage announce the availability of a new collaborative solution to streamline the Scanning and Archiving conversion.

Updated January 2010